Prison for trading in counterfeit clothes brands

Stockholm District Court has sentenced a man to ten months behind bars for importing and selling counterfeit clothes brands. The relatively strict punishment was imposed even though the man has no previous convictions. The court motivates its decision by emphasising that this was an extensive criminal operation that has been going on for a long time.The man had imported clothes branded with the logos of Fred Perry, Adidas, Ralph Lauren and others. The clothes had then been sold both to retailers and direct to individual consumers.

The man was prosecuted in Stockholm District Court for infringement of trademark on six separate counts. He denied the charges, claiming that he had relied on guarantees given to him by his suppliers. In its ruling the court pointed to the fact that the man had been active in the clothing industry for most of his working life and that he should therefore have been aware of the risk that clothes purchased in this way may be pirated copies.

In addition to the custodial sentence, the man has been banned from carrying on a business for five years. He is also required to pay damages of 750,000 Swedish kronor (approx. 85,500 euros) and court costs totalling 450,000 Swedish kronor (approx. 51,250 euros).